Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Since I spend two third of
my time in a day with adolescence. I know how much this film actors,
celebrities’ sports stars and public figures act upon young mind. Especially
their life styles their opinions, their stand on the societal customs and
norms. The way they respect and act on to retain the social institutions. It
may be parenting, marriage or some taboos.

The time when transition
takes place in one’s life from childhood to adulthood what we call ‘adolescence’
are in search of the answer “who I am” the answer can be seen on the bedroom
walls different posters of their so called role models. This may be a film hero’s
sports star public entertainer who always can be seen in their TV screen. But I
am sure it’s never the people who work for a cause social service activist
freedom fighter at large.

The influence of the
people who always hit on the main pages of the news paper who shine in the
channel who’s posters can be seen in the public places are quite high with
young mind.

If you want to notice the
developmental stages of the of a person or to understand the developmental
stages proposed by either Erickson or Piaget take a look into the bedroom of a
child if its female the whole room will be filled with Barbie dolls books
posters dresses Barbie cosmetics if its boy Ben10, Spider man. When the child
turns 12 or 14 Ben10 is replaced by sports stars, film hero’s celebrities books
are film fare, sports star and automobile magazines. This is because they are
busy with identifying themselves in this process they keep some role models who
will fit into their ideal self.

According to Erickson’s
psychosocial stages development adolescence is the period when young adults
attempt to develop identity and idea about their strengths, weaknesses, goals,
occupations sexual identity and gender roles. Teens try different identities
and they have so many possibilities. Since this stage of development primarily
depends upon what one does to himself or in other words he takes responsibility
of his growth and development. The life during this time definitely getting
more complex as an attempt to find own identity.

The role of the film stars
and celebrities are immense in this stage as adolescence wants attention in the
society hence they fall upon to follow these people and read about them try to
imitate them who fix into their image. On an average we find the role models
are mainly from the stardom- the hero’s in the reel the hero’s whom they
admire. But the question arises Are these hero’s good example for these young
mind? When obviously there is a mismatch with the hero’s real life and reel
life what appears to be depicted as flowery movies is not the real itself- life
is no always with happy endings as in movies. In the reel life he succeeds in
spite of all mishappenings and in reality???? Some cases of divorce, drink and
drive, abuse in the public places misbehavior cheating etc which really what
they fight on the screen but in reality that element is missing in most of the
cases. Hence our young mind may believe
some time what their role model says it’s also because of prestige suggestion
and adolescence are more suggestible during this period with respect to the
self image.

Albert Bandura social
learning theorist suggests that people tend to display behaviors’ that are
learned intentionally or through the influence of examples. Since identity
formation is the central focus during adolescence, adolescents are particularly
influenced by adults in the environment. (Erickson) adolescents often look to
adults in order to determine as well as to identify models of whom they want to
be like.

Now in an age where we
have more contact with celebrities’ gossips than we have ever had we are faced
with a question. Are our young adults are getting good examples to imitate,
model and set examples.

Culture idols need to
think twice before making a poor decision because of their influence on their
young fans and other people who may look up to them.

Media certainly plays a
big role in celebrity obsession because of widespread audience and profit
involved. When it comes to family and marriage the couple who lived for say 25
to 30 years together need to pay the news paper to publish their anniversary
photos and good message of the mantra of staying together, in this present so
called self centered society. But when it comes to separation divorce
especially the stardom news papers and visual media is keen in bringing the
full page information like a deductive. Media has better diary of the
celebrities where when what and how of the separation and there comes a huge
real story of a reel hero.

What I stress is-Yes
people do have pressure in life and every individual has a personal way of
coping. But in divorce, drink, harassment or whatever is it right on the part of media to leak out
their private life instead of giving space required at such time?.

If media and the stardom
can act more responsibly to be a good example for these tender minds not to
develop negative attitude towards some of the social institutions which will
spiflicate the future.

ALL THAT BEGINS WELL ENDS
WELL so let adolescent begin well so that life ends well